Surface acoustic waves (i.e., "SAWS"), also known as Rayleigh waves, have been known since the middle of the nineteenth century. However, it was not until much later that the phenomenon of SAW propagation was first exploited for its applications to electronic devices. Acoustic wave devices known in the art commonly consist of a substrate on which a conductive material is deposited in a predetermined pattern. The patterned conductive material is known as an interdigital transducer (i.e., an IDT). R. M. White et al., Appl. Phys. Let., Volume 7, Number 12, pages 314-316 (Dec. 15, 1965), describes the use of the IDT as an efficient technique for the generation and detection of surface acoustic waves on a piezoelectric surface. An IDT may be suitably connected to an electrical input so that the refractive index in a crystal is changed as required by acoustic-optic applications. See, e.g., K. S. Buritskii et al., Soy. Tech Phys. Lett. 17(8) pp. 563-565 (1991) and L. Kunn et al., Appl. Phys. Lett, 17(6) pp. 265-267 (1970). In other applications, an IDT on one end of a substrate surface may be connected to a source of the frequency waves (e.g., television antenna--radio frequency) and an IDT on the other end of the substrate surface may be connected to a device designed to receive a predetermined frequency (e.g., radio frequency for a specific television channel). The design of the IDT (i.e., the pattern of the conductive materials on the surface of a particular type of substrate) determines how the frequency will be controlled (e.g., which channel is received).
The types of acoustic waves which may be generated in a given crystal depend upon the piezoelectric-elastic-dielectric (i.e., PED) matrix of the crystal, which in turn depends on the crystal structure. In other words, not all materials are suitable for SAW generation, and materials which are suitable for SAW generation may not be suitable for generation of other types of acoustic waves. The properties of the substrate (e.g., the crystal structure) will determine the type of acoustic wave that will be generated, mechanism of the control and how high a frequency can be controlled.
Radio frequency control devices using substrates capable of controlling the received radio frequency by the generation of SAWs are known in the art. For example, R. S. Wagers et al., IEEE Transactions on Sonics and Ultrasonics, Vol SU-31, No. 3, pages 168-174 (May 1984) discloses SAW devices based on lithium niobate. In these SAW devices the SAWs, generated by an IDT connected to a source of radio frequency waves, propagate through a y-cut lithium niobate crystal at a rate of about 3500 meters per second. This permits these SAW devices to be useful as radio frequency controllers in, for example, conventional television.
Acoustic waves, other than SAWs, may be generated in bulk crystal. For example, the Bleustein-Gulyaev wave (i.e., B-G wave) has been both mathematically postulated and experimentally proven to exist in crystals having 6 mm or mm2 crystal symmetries (see e.g., J. L. Bleustein, Appl. Phys. Lett., Volume 13, Number 12, pages 412-413 (Dec. 15, 1968), and C.-C. Tseng, Appl. Phys. Lett. Volume 16, Number 6, pages 253-255 (Mar. 15, 1970)); and surface skimming bulk waves (i.e., SSBWs) have been shown to propagate on the surface of the crystal and to gradually propagate partially into the depths of the crystal. Such waves (both SSBWs and B-G waves) generally propagate faster than conventional surface acoustic waves. SSBWs have been generated in lithium tantalate and lithium niobate at a rate of about 4100 meters per second and about 5100 meters per second, respectively (see Meirion Lewis et al., 1977 Ultrasonics Symposium Proceedings IEEE Cat#77CH1264-1SU pages 744-752). B-G waves have been found in Bi.sub.12 GeO.sub.29 (i.e., "BGO") and Ba.sub.2 NaNb.sub.5 O.sub.15 (i.e., "BNN") to possess velocities of 1694 m/sec and 3627 m/sec, respectively (see C.-C. Tseng, Appl. Phys. Lett. Volume 16, Number 6, pages 253-255 (Mar. 15, 1970)).
Since potassium titanyl phosphate (i.e., "KTP") crystals are widely known to have a high nonlinear optical coefficients and resistance to optical damage, the SAW properties of rubidium exchanged KTP have been investigated relative to use in acousto-optic devices. K. S. Buritskii et al., Electronics Letters, Vol. 27, No. 21, pages 1896-1897 (Oct. 10, 1991), discusses the excitation of SAWs in Rb:KTP (i.e., a slab waveguide formed by Rb ion exchange on the surface of a single crystal of KTP). The velocity of the SAW generated in this waveguide was about 3900 meters per second. Buritskii et al., Soy. Tech. Phys. Lett., Volume 17, Number 8, pages 563-565 (August 1991) discusses the fabrication of a planar acousto-optic modulator using a Rb:KTP waveguide.
The effect of domain structure on SAW generation has been studied and reported in D. V. Roshchupkin et al., Appl. Phys. Lett 60(19), pages 2330-2331 (May 11, 1992). This publication discloses utilizing regularly domain reversed lithium niobate, where the domains were reversed by thermoelectrical treatment; and reports that the SAW wavelength is determined by the period of the regular domain structure. Reportedly, the regular domain structure of lithium niobate is more effective for the excitation of SAWs than the ordinary IDT, because the maximum amplitude of the high frequency input signal is determined by the thickness of the sample and not by the period of the IDT.
The number of devices requiring frequency control has grown in number and complexity, and the demand for controlling higher frequencies, such as those needed for microwave generators and high definition television, has grown commensurately.